The present invention refers in general to armrests for motor-vehicle seats, and is related in particular to a central armrest for a rear seat assembly having a seat cushion element and two back rest portions provided with respective top headrests and spaced-apart from each other so as to define an intermediate recess for the armrest.
From DE-C-40 15 872 a central armrest for a rear seat assembly is known, comprising an elongated body having one end provided with a mounting structure with a transverse pivot pin, which is intended to be supported by the two back rest portions in proximity to the seat cushion element so as to allow swinging of the armrest between a substantially horizontal lowered position and a substantially vertical raised position, and an opposite end having a headrest element, which is adapted to be used in said raised position of the armrest.
In this known construction the headrest element is formed by a cushion which is separated and distinct from the elongated body of the armrest and is slidably mounted, parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof and by means of a telescopic structure, between a retracted position and an advanced position. When the armrest is in the raised position, displacement of the cushion from the retracted position to the advanced position (i.e. raising thereof) results in providing a central headrest situated at the same height of the two headrests carried by the top ends of the two back rest portions.
The two-part structure of this known central armrest has a complex construction, in particular due to the presence of the telescopic structure incorporated within the elongated body of the armrest for the sliding motion of the headrest element.
From DE-A-42 25 880 a central armrest for a motor vehicle rear seat assembly is also known, which is swingable between a lowered and a raised position and carries at the free end thereof a headrest element which can be used in the raised position of the armrest. Even in this case the headrest is formed by a body distinct from the armrest, but the vertical position thereof in the raised position of the armrest can not be modified.